Sydney construction boss George Alex found guilty of $10 million tax fraud syndicate

·

Sydney construction boss George Alex has today been found guilty of a conspiracy to defraud the Australian Tax Office (ATO) of $10 million.

According to The Age, a jury of nine men and three women returned a guilty verdict for Mr Alex and three co-accused Lindsay John Kirschberg, Gordon McAndrew and Pasquale Loccisano.

Two weeks ago, Mr Alex was also found guilty of conspiring to deal with more than a million dollars in proceeds of crime.

The verdicts came after a six-month trial and more than a month of deliberations.

George Alex (left) and his son Arthur Alex outside the NSW Supreme Court at Darlinghurst during their trial.CREDITWOLTER PEETERS
George Alex (left) and his son Arthur Alex outside the NSW Supreme Court at Darlinghurst during their trial. Photo: Wolter Peeters.

The six-month trial involved five other men including Mr Alex’s 26-year-old son Arthur Alex, who was found not guilty of the single charge against him.

The group are accused of running a labour hire business with legitimate construction industry clients and used a multi-layered, “revolving door” of companies to pocket pay-as-you-go (PAYG) withholding tax from the wages and salaries of labour hire and office staff.

When the guilty verdict was read out in court today, Mr Alex was missing from the dock. He was recently admitted to Northern Beaches Hospital to manage his withdrawal from opioids – a fact his own lawyers only became aware of on Monday morning.

Justice Desmond Fagan agreed to vary Alex’s bail conditions to allow him to remain in hospital until another detention hearing on Friday.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November.

Source: The Age

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From crisis to compassion: Timos Roussos and his family’s mercy mission in war-torn Cyprus

When Turkish troops landed on Cyprus on 20 July 1974, six-year-old Timos Roussos was sitting on the floor of his family’s home in Lemesos.

A granddaughter returns: Georgia Georgiou retraces her yiayia’s occupied village in Cyprus

When Georgia Georgiou handed over her Cypriot ID at the border checkpoint to cross into occupied northern Cyprus, she felt an ache.

‘You never get over it’: A childhood shattered by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

On a warm July morning in 1974, 10-year-old Anastasia Di Loreto (née Karatzia) was jolted awake by the sound of bombs falling on Kyrenia.

Cyprus: The paradox of tolerance and impunity for Turkey

The lack of a unified, systematic and practical strategy on the part of Greece has led the Cyprus crisis into national disarray.

Lost homes and lingering hope: Greek-Cypriots reflect on Turkish invasion and its aftermath

From hidden stories to haunting memories, two Greek-Cypriot men share what it means to carry the burden of Cyprus’ past.

You May Also Like

AHEPA Chapter Artemis to hold lecture on domestic violence in multicultural communities

AHEPA Chapter Artemis No 5 Inc. is holding a lecture on May 30 to discuss the prevalence of domestic violence in multicultural communities.

First two upgraded F-16 Viper fighter jets arrive in Greece

Greece's air force received the first two upgraded F-16 Viper fighter jets at the Tanagra Airbase in Greece on Monday.

Westfield Local Heroes 2022: Here are the Greek Australian finalists

The finalists for the 2022 Westfield Local Heroes have been announced and among the names are at least four Greek Australians.